Gladiatorial Games
Gladiatorial Games, or simply "The Games" History In times of peace or non-aggression, political tension runs high. A nation’s army can never relax, nor can their nobility ever let their guard down against the relentless assassination attempts that they must endure. To ease some of this tension, but primarily to showcase their nation’s finest fighters, the gladiatorial games were created. At first the games were little more than grudge matches and brawls between border armies. Soldiers would meet along these borders under the veil of night and beat each other bloody. Sometimes it would be groups, sometimes champions, but normally it was whoever had the most to prove, or whoever was filled with the most hate. As commanders began to grow more and more accepting of these brawls, it became more structured in order to keep the deaths to a minimum, as neither side’s goal was to start a war; simply to prove who was better. This logic spread like wildfire, and was first publicly endorsed by the Amalgamation, quickly followed by the Nadine Empire, the Celestine Empire, and then gradually by most of the City-states and smaller nations. Other nations, tribes, and clans, though they do not fight in coliseums and are not viewed in the same light, still have champions that fight for their tribe. Views of the Different Human Nations The Amalgamation: Gladiators of the Amalgamation are always the most diverse and thus the most interesting to observe. People of many conquered and subjugated nations all fight under one divine banner, for -- just like in the rest of the world -- a Gladiatorial Champion is granted wealth, women, and privilege. With such diversity and such a large breadth of champions, the Amalgamation can be selective and choose a fighter who will have an advantage against any fighting style. Nadine Empire: In the Nadine Empire, prisoners, slaves, and the lower class are thrown in the pits for their Gladiators to practice upon. This is mostly done to keep the prisons free and the beggar population low, but it is also the Empire’s version of compassion as it gives everyone a chance for redemption. Captives who prove themselves become icons and legends. In the Nadine Empire, strength is all that matters, and they respect it no matter where it comes from. Imperial Soldiers are the finest in the world due to their training and discipline. The arena is no different to them, and their training regiment is the harshest and most brutal of all. Celestine Empire: The Celestine Empire views the Gladiatorial matches as a trial of the soul. Though death occurs, their empire does what it can to keep such losses to a minimum. Though this means that their fighters combat with less ferocity than in the Nadine Empire, it also means their Gladiators can learn from mistakes. This philosophy has led to the Celestine Empire having the most experienced fighters in the Arena. In the Celestine Empire, the Coliseum is viewed as a near-holy place, and Gladiators are not viewed as thugs or brawlers, but as champions. The Celestine Coliseums are further significant as they are a place of many public ceremonies. Those wishing to become one of the Queen’s Handmaidens must first face battle upon the Coliseum floors. The City-states: Little can be said about the fighters of the various competing City-states. Every city is different and have their own champions, styles of combat, and methods of training. Other: On rare occasions, other nations send teams to compete in various competitions. The reasons for this vary, but it is always allowed so long as the team meets the criteria for the tournament or Arena.